How to take care of your Birman cat

Grooming

Kazumi, 1 year & 4 months old

Birmans are semi-longhair cats and unlike other breeds, like Persians, they do not mat or comb. However you should groom your Birman cat with a wide toothed brush at least twice a week during winter and daily or twice a day during summer, in order to keep your Birman in great condition. Most Birman cats do love to be groomed.

Vaccination

Iniko, 5 months young

Vaccination of cats is very important, although many owners unfortunately do not give great importance to it. In fact, even if Birman cats live exclusively indoor, they need to be vaccinated. Some viruses are transferredthrough air, or even through your clothing or your shoes.The antibodies contained in breast milk protect the kitten during the first 8-12 weeks of life, providing the so-called passive immunity.The first vaccination on kittens is performed at the age of 8-9 weeks, followed by two repeats: the first 3 to 4 weeks later, and the second, at 14 to 16 weeks. Then the kitten is vaccinated for the next 12 months. Adult cats are vaccinated once a year.Vaccinations can help against the following diseases:Infectious Feline Rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia (feline gastroenteritis).

Neutering

Quentin, 2 years old

Neutering is a wise decision. All responsible owners take the decision to neuter their cats to ensure their future health and to avoid behaviour problems.Neutering helps:To avoid unwanted pregnancies.To stop often troublesome behaviour during the oestrous (eg night cries). Note that cats exhibit oestrus from January or February to September or October every 2-3 weeks.A neutered cat is protected against various diseases such us pyometra or uterine cancer, while significantly reducing the chances of neoplasms of the breasts.Usually a good age for your Birman kitten to be neutered is between 10-12 months, but this is a decision that you will taking after discussing it with your vet.

Feeding

Iniko, 6 months young

Until the age of around 12 months, your kitten should have constant access to food. Like all cats, it is not allowed to feed your Birman kitten with foods that contain sugar or chocolate (they are toxic to cats), human milk (many cats are lactose intolerant) or dog food. In contrast we suggest that you give your cat special cat grass (which contains vitamins and also helps to eliminate unwanted elements like hairballs).It is exremely important to track your cat's weight in regular basis. In order to help you, we have uploaded our personal file of Zoraya's weight track. You can download the file by clicking here and use it for your own cat as well. It will help you notice any weight loss, which may be a result of appetit loss, sickness or hairball problem.

Entertainment

Kazumi, 8 months young

An active cat is a happy cat!We suggest you therefore to have a lot of toys for your cat. These toys should not be available all the time, but you should hide them from time to time. When the toys are unhidden, they become even more valuable for your Birman cat.It is also necessary for you to have enough cat trees in your house, so that your kitten does not scratch its claws on your furniture.The most important thing is to find sufficient time to spend with your cat. If you feel that you are away for many hours, it would be a good idea to adopt a second kitten, in order to keep your Birman cat company while you are away.

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